“Perhaps even people you like and admire immensely can make you see the World in ways you would rather not.”
No one knows what the future looks like, but that certainly doesn’t stop us from trying to predict and picture it. Speculative fiction books encompass a broad range of stories from across the reading world. They include far-flung science fiction and futuristic fantasy, magical realism and even poignant literary tales. Some of these stories present an absurd and outlandish vision for the future, whereas others paint a world whose eeriness comes from its similarities with the society we co-exist in right now. Whatever blend of speculative fiction you enjoy, there’s no denying its popularity across the world, especially as new technologies and advancements in our own world make the future seem far closer than it ever has. Join us today at What We Reading as we run you through some of our favourite speculative fiction books including all the essential classics, and some more recent releases you may have missed!
Piranesi – Susanna Clarke
Kicking off our list of the best speculative fiction books is Susanna Clarke’s acclaimed 2020 novel, Piranesi. Piranesi’s house is no regular building: its rooms are infinite, its corridors endless, and its walls are lined with thousands upon thousands of statues, each one unique from the others. Inside the labyrinth of halls is an ocean; waves crash against the staircases and rooms are flooded in a moment. But Piranesi is not afraid; he understands the tides, and the labyrinth and lives to explore the house.
Another individual lives in the house – a man called The Other – who visits Piranesi twice a week, asking for help with research into A Great and Secret Knowledge. Only, as Piranesi explores more of the building, evidence emerges of another person and a terrible truth that gradually peels away a world beyond he has always known.
Game Changer – Neal Shusterman
All it takes is one hit on the football pitch, and suddenly Ash’s life doesn’t quite look the same way he remembers it. Impossible as it may seem, he’s been knocked into another dimension – and keeps bouncing through almost-but-not-really his own worlds.
The changes start off small enough, but they soon begin to spiral out of control as Ash continues to slide into universes where he possesses everything he’s ever wanted, universes where society is stuck in the past and universes where he finds himself looking at life through an entirely different set of eyes. And, if he isn’t careful, the world he’s learning to see more clearly could blink out of existence in Neal Shusterman’s YA speculative fiction book, Game Changer.
Parable Of The Sower (Earthseed #1) – Octavia E. Butler
One of the most lauded speculative fiction authors of all time, Octavia E. Butler whisks readers to an alternate 2024 in her famous novel, Parable of the Sower. Lauren Olamina and her family live in one of the only safe neighbourhoods remaining on the outskirts of Los Angeles. Led by her preacher father, she and her community eke out an existence together attempting to salvage the remains of a culture long-ravaged by drugs, disease, shortages and conflict.
When a fire destroys their compound, however, Lauren’s family is killed and she is forced out into a world that is fraught with danger. With just a handful of other refugees for company, she must make her way northward to safety. Along the way, she begins to conceive a revolutionary idea that could mean salvation for all of humanity.
Check Out The Best Books Like Parable Of The Sower
The Power – Naomi Alderman
In Naomi Alderman’s speculative feminist fiction story, the world is a recognisable place. There’s a rich Nigerian boy who lounges around the family pool, a foster kid whose religious parents hide their true nature, an ambitious American politician and a tough, street-smart London girl from a tricky family.
But then a vital new force takes root and flourishes, causing all of these lives to converge with devastating consequences. In an instant, teenage girls are given immense physical power. They are able to cause agonising pain and even inflict death on others. With this small twist of nature, the traditional structures of society are upended and the world drastically resets.
Seveneves – Neal Stephenson
Another one of the best speculative fiction stories with more of an emphasis on sci-fi comes from Neal Stephenson in Seveneves. In it, a catastrophic event leaves the Earth a ticking time bomb. In a race against this inevitable fate, nations around the world band together with an ambitious plan to ensure the survival of the human species far beyond the atmosphere of the planet and deep into outer space.
Five thousand years on, the descendants of this plan now number over three billion spread across seven distinctive races. These descendants are themselves preparing for a bold new expedition into the unknown, to an alien world utterly transformed by catastrophe and time: planet Earth.
The Grace Year – Kim Liggett
In Garner County, girls are told that they have the power to lure grown men from their beds, to drive women mad with jealousy. They believe their very skin emits a potent aphrodisiac, the very essence of youth and on the edge of adulthood. Which is why they are banished on their sixteenth birthday to release their magic into the wild, returning purified and ready for marriage.
Sixteen-year-old Tierney James dreams about a better life – a life in a society where women aren’t pitted against one another. Yet, as her own grace year approaches, she realises that it isn’t just the brutal elements she must fear. It isn’t even the poachers in the woods – men looking to steal these girls to sell on the black market – that pose the biggest threat. In fact, the biggest danger may very well be each other. Another one of the best YA speculative fiction books, Kim Liggett’s The Grace Year is a gritty and grounded read that explores the complex relationships between women and the difficult decisions they are forced to make.
The This – Adam Roberts
The This is the new social media platform everyone is talking about. By having it injected into the roof of your mouth, it will grow into your brain, allowing you to connect with others without ever having to pick up your phone. Its passionate followers are growing in number. Its naysayers brand it a cult. But, for one journalist, hired to do an interview with its CEO, it will change the world forever.
Elsewhere, Adan just wants to stay at home with his smart device – Elegy – which provides everything he needs in life. But, when his mother flees to Europe to join a cult, he is forced to enlist in the army. Sentient robots are invading America, but it appears Adan has a special knack for surviving their attacks. He has a purpose, even if he doesn’t realise yet. Structurally ambitious and incredibly timely, Adam Roberts’ The This is one of the best speculative fiction books from 2022.
The Lathe Of Heaven – Ursula K. Le Guin
In a future world ravaged by violence and environmental disasters, George Orr wakes up one day to discover that his dreams have the ability to change reality. He seeks help from Dr. William Haber, a psychiatrist who immediately sees the power George now commands. It soon becomes apparent that the preservation of reality itself is in George’s hands, whilst Dr. Haber manipulates George’s dreams for his own purposes.
Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Lathe of Heaven is a prescient speculative fiction book that paints a portrait of the dangers of power and humanity’s self-destructiveness. It is one of the all-time classic pieces of science fiction and still a hauntingly good read.
Never Let Me Go – Kazuo Ishiguro
On the surface, Hailsham looks like a perfectly pleasant English boarding school, far-flung from the corruption of the city. Its students are well-tended and well-behaved. They are trained in art and literature, modelled to become the sorts of citizens the world wants them to be. Yet, interestingly, they are taught nothing about the world outside the school walls and are allowed very little contact with it.
Within the grounds of Hailsham, Kathy grows from a schoolgirl to a young woman. But it is only when she and her friends, Tommy and Ruth, leave Hailsham’s grounds that they come to realise the shocking truth behind Hailsham’s real purpose. A beautiful love story, compelling mystery and fascinating social critique of human arrogance and how we treat the vulnerable and different in society, Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go is undoubtedly one of the best speculative fiction books from the past two decades.
Check Out The Best Books Like Never Let Me Go
The Lillies – Quinn Diacon-Furtado
Another one of the best speculative fiction stories with dark academia vibes, Quinn Diacon-Furtado takes readers within the walls of Archwell Academy in The Lillies. Archwell is shaping the next generation of young women. And everyone knows that membership in the Lillies Society is the best way to secure a ticket to a successful future. But, like every secret society, there is something sinister at the centre of The Lillies.
When four Archwell students find themselves trapped in a mysterious time loop on the day after one of The Lillies’ members disappears, they soon discover that each one of them holds a clue that unlocks the truth behind the society. They are all also hiding their own secrets. Secrets that they would do anything to keep hidden.
The Farm – Joanne Ramos
Nestled in the Hudson Valley is a sumptuous retreat boasting every amenity from organic meals, and private trainers to daily massages – all for free. In fact, people get paid big money – more than they’ve ever dreamed of – to spend a handful of seasons in this luxurious retreat. The only catch? For nine months, they belong to the Farm. No one is allowed to leave, every move is monitored, and people’s entire lives are dedicated to producing the perfect baby for the Farm’s uber-wealthy clients.
Jane is a struggling Philippine immigrant and single mother. She is thrilled when she makes it through the competitive selection process at the Farm. But, now pregnant, fragile and consumed by worry for her daughter’s well-being, she becomes increasingly desperate to reconnect with her old life. Yet, she cannot leave the Farm or she will lose the life-changing sum she’ll receive upon delivery. Or be consigned to a fate even worse than that.
They Both Die At The End (Death-Cast #1) – Adam Silvera
On September 5, a little past midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to deliver some bad news: they’re both going to die today.
Mateo and Rufus are complete strangers. But, for different reasons, they’re both looking for connection and a new friend on their End Day. Thankfully, there’s an app for that. It’s called the Last Friend and, through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up and attempt an impossible adventure of living a lifetime in a single day. One of the most viral and touching speculative fiction book series, Adam Silvera kicks off his Death-Cast series with his 2017 story, They Both Die at the End.
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Oryx And Crake (MaddAddam #1) – Margaret Atwood
No list of speculative books would be complete without Margaret Atwood, and her MaddAddam series is the best place to start for fans of the genre. Oryx and Crake opens with Snowman, known as Jimmy before mankind was overwhelmed by a plague. He is struggling to survive in a world where he may be the last remaining human, and still reeling from the loss of his best friend and the beautiful Oryx, whom they both loved.
With the help of the green-eyed Children of Crake, Snowman embarks on a journey for answers and self-discovery. His journey takes him through a lush wilderness that was once a great city until corporations took mankind on an uncontrolled genetic engineering ride. Like all the best speculative fiction and dystopian novels, Margaret Atwood takes readers on a tour through a future that is both all too familiar and well beyond our imagination.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
